Apple will appeal contempt ruling in Epic Games case over App Store

Apple lodged an appeal to challenge a U.S. judge’s ruling that ordered the tech company to immediately open its App Store.

Apple on Monday lodged an appeal to challenge a U.S. judge’s ruling that ordered the tech company to immediately open its lucrative App Store to more competition.

Apple in a court notice said it will ask the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review the April 30 ruling, which found the company in contempt of an earlier order in a 2020 antitrust lawsuit brought by Epic Games.

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said in her decision that Apple willfully failed to comply with a 2021 injunction designed to allow developers to more easily steer consumers to potentially cheaper non-Apple payment options.

Gonzalez Rogers also referred Apple and one of its executives to federal prosecutors for a possible criminal contempt investigation. She refused to put her order on hold, accusing Apple of delaying and purposefully misleading the court.

"Apple sought to maintain a revenue stream worth billions in direct defiance of this court’s injunction," Gonzalez Rogers said.

Apple had denied violating terms of the court’s order.

Apple and Epic Games did not immediately respond to requests for comment.